"The act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.” Madeleine Albright

Our Grant-Giving Philosophy

We award grants for projects that challenge students and teachers to learn in new ways and new environments. We support projects that provide experiences beyond the classroom, encourage critical thinking, employ experiential “hands-on” learning, and require the application of new skills and knowledge. Whenever possible, we encourage projects that foster humanitarian efforts.

Recommended areas of focus for project proposals in 2016-2017:

Exploration of new ideas, new technology, and critical issues in science, agriculture, medicine, and the environment

Performance in the arts

Immersion in world cultures and languages to reduce prejudices and increase international cooperation

Professional development in teaching and learning

Students and teachers who are awarded grants are required to share some of their new knowledge, skills and insights with students and/or colleagues, and the community.

It is our hope that awards for successful projects involving several students, or more, serve as seed money for programs that will continue in the future and be funded by the school system.

Projects must:

Extend beyond the classroom and encourage real world problem solving and community involvement

Meet important student needs and provide opportunities

Have observable outcomes that directly benefit the largest possible number of students

Extend beyond what is conventionally possible due to restraints of time, money or facilities

Help students to see connections between present learning and future achievement

The Annual Ingenuity Competition (AIC)

To “inspire students to envision and execute cutting edge projects through ingenuity, teamwork and delight,” the Fund is launching The 21st Century Fund AIC. Each year the competition will have a different theme determined by a committee of our board members, HVRHS teachers, local business leaders and other professionals. Projects will cover topics such as how global warming affects weather-related disasters or applyingrobotics to improve the lives of those with disabilities.

The AIC reflects the Fund’s mission of promoting original thinking and creativity for the betterment of our students and our society, which complements the HVRHS School Improvement Plan by providing students more opportunity to gain experience in teamwork, thinking outside-the-box, sustaining a project from inception to completion, and adding meaningful, “real-world” experiences.

The AIC welcomes funding partners from local businesses and the community at-large.